Chapter 322 — Intelligence
Blade of Dawn · Page 3 of 3
"Rest assured, I can afford a bit of material cost," Solin said, not sure whether to laugh or cry. "But speaking of which, 'ritual magic' is quite an archaic term, isn't it? Only a few classical-school Senming sects still use that expression, no? Modern druids have long since merged ritual magic and ceremonial magic into 'ceremonial magic'..."
"I'm from the Ancestral Reincarnation sect," Pi Yun said at once, face full of pride, his wrinkles creasing into blossoms. "So the magic and ointments here are absolutely authentic—you won't find them anywhere else—"
Before he could finish, Rebecca cut in from the side: "Hey, weren't you Heart of the Forest last time?"
"And before that he was the Spirit of Nature," Amber waved a hand. "Don't believe a word of it. To swindle money, the old fellow's read every book on every druid sect there is—whichever one the customer believes in, that's what he is..."
Solin was still not quite accustomed to the peculiar rhythm of the people around Gao Yang, and looked somewhat embarrassed, but fortunately Gao Yang steered the conversation onward: "Besides the cultists, is there anything else to report?"
"I was just getting to that," Solin nodded at once. He glanced around the room, confirmed that everyone present was a leader of one department or another in the Cecil Territory, and said with a grave expression: "I've received intelligence that Winterwolf Keep on the Typhon border has also come under attack by aberrations."
"Winterwolf Keep?" Gao Yang's brow furrowed. "If I remember rightly, that's the fortress garrisoned by the Wendel family... The one controlling Winterwolf Keep now should be Anluo Wendel, that young wolf general."
"Yes, I served in her army before this," Solin nodded. "The attack on Winterwolf Keep must have been only a few days apart from the attack on the Cecil Territory. Considering the distance between the two places and the speed at which aberrations move, I suspect it was the same band of monsters, split into two groups in the Dark Mountains..."
Gao Yang looked toward Amber, who spoke up before he could ask: "The Military Intelligence Bureau hasn't reported anything yet. Our intelligence network has only just barely spread across the Southern Region; for now we haven't the spare capacity to infiltrate the Eastern Region, let alone Typhon beyond."
Gao Yang nodded. He understood well that building an intelligence network was not the work of a day—even with the aid of such cheat-like advantages as the commercial network and the unstoppable alchemical potion trade, getting the Military Intelligence Bureau's operation up and running was no easy task.
"That news has probably already reached the desks of Francis II and the Typhon Emperor," Hedy was quick-minded too, and unlike Rebecca, years of dealing with the various noble factions had given her a keen sense of the political situation. "Ancestor, the situation between the two nations may well change."
"Word will come before the Month of Revival ends at the latest," Gao Yang nodded, then turned to Amber. "Step up the training and deployment of new agents, and keep a close watch for news from the Holy Spirit Plains. If I'm not mistaken, before resuming diplomatic activity, Francis II will first make some move on the domestic front."